EL SEGUNDO – A swarm of cameramen fought for positioning around a Lakers player. And for the first time in 20 years, the hubbub did not involve Kobe Bryant.

Instead, plenty of Chinese media members wanted to catch every glimpse of Lakers forward/center Yi Jianlian, who has starred for both the Chinese national team and a Chinese professional team (Guangdong) for the past four years.

Yi’s stature hardly matches Bryant, who won five NBA titles with the Lakers and became the NBA’s third all-time leading scorer. Yi also brushed off any comparisons to former Houston Rockets center and Chinese star Yao Ming, who recently earned an induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

But after spending five NBA seasons with four different teams from 2007 to 2012, Yi said he feels prepared for his second NBA stint.

“I feel pressure,” Yi said after Friday’s informal workout at the Lakers’ practice facility. “But I feel excited about that.”

The reasons seem obvious. The Lakers attract a large following in China both because of Bryant’s popularity and the franchise’s tradition of success. After dabbling in Milwaukee (2007), New Jersey (2008-10), Washington (2010-11) and Dallas (2011-12), Yi has not played in the NBA for the past four years. Yi did earn praise for his stellar play in last month’s Rio Olympics. Last season in China, Yi also averaged 20.4 points and 6.6 rebounds with Guangdong and shot 46.7 percent from 3-point range.

“I think I can still shoot the 3’s, space the floor,” said the 6-foot-11, 243-pound Yi, who averaged 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his five-year NBA career. “I’m cool with playing the four or five.”

Yi said he and first-year Lakers coach Luke Walton have not discussed his role. But after the Lakers signed Yi to a one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum this summer, Yi walked away encouraged by his conversations with Walton. Yi could help the Lakers’ frontcourt depth with his size at center and with his outside shooting at power forward.

“I think I can really fit on the team and his system,” Yi said. “I think I can play over here.”

That’s because Yi predicted it will not take long to adapt to the NBA’s superior speed and physical play. He also envisioned meshing well with the Lakers’ young roster, including D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.

“There’s a lot of talent there,” Yi said. “They will be great players and they are all working hard. Everyone is trying to win for the team. For myself, I’m ready and confident.”

Yi said he remained confident he would return to the NBA even when he did not land on a roster for the past four years. The sixth overall pick (Milwaukee) in the 2007 NBA Draft, Yi hasn’t gotten frustrated while out of the league and said he told himself “to play hard and keep working hard everyday.”

Since 2012, Yi said he’s made improvements in his physical presence while helping bolster China’s standing in international basketball. The Lakers scouted him in August when China played Team USA in a pre-Olympics exhibition game at Staples Center.

“With the future, I would always try to help all the young guys and young players,” Yi said of the Chinese national team. “I think that’s the way to get China basketball. Get more players overseas to play.”

The Lakers got Yi to leave partly by also offering an incentive-laden contract if he makes the roster. Yi played coy on whether Guangdong allowed him to earn all of his contract with them after leaving.

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